Forever Together: Pongi

Pongie was a darling little girl who arrived at Rivers of Hope a few days before one of our Embrace Missions teams arrived in Haiti. She was an absolutely beautiful little girl who would be warm and engaging one moment and break into sad tears the next. The staff and care takers at Rivers of Hope did all they could to meet this little girl’s needs. They saw that she received nutritious meals, toys and stimulation, and any medical care she required – without any sponsorship funds or financial support coming into the home to help pay for her care.

Meanwhile the mission team set to work on creating an outdoor area, digging trenches and laying cinder blocks. During this time team members would spend time with the children. One team member came back to the work area and said he had been playing a fun game with Pongie. She would shout something and he would repeat it. Over and over, she shouted something in Creole and he repeated it. After he repeated what Pongie was saying, it was translated that she was shouting that her Daddy that had left her.

A few weeks later, reports came that Pongie had gone back to her birth parent. Rivers of Hope Director Rachel shared that Pongie’s heart was so sad and that every day she would stand by the door and just wait. Rachel helped the birth parent as much as she could with supplies and support, telling the parent that Pongie truly needs him.

All this effort, all this time, all this money was poured into Pongie without a second thought and there was a celebration when she could be reunited with her birth parent.

Family reunification is part of AGCI’s orphan prevention efforts. Keeping families together by providing resources and support to reunite families helps provide every child with the loving family they deserve.